1. Technical Field
The embodiments described and claimed herein relate generally to barbecue grill handles. More specifically, some of the embodiments relate to heat barrier structures which reduce the temperature of, and in the region of, barbecue grill handles.
2. Background Art
Barbecue grills are well known in the art. Typically, these barbecue grills include a cooking chamber and a support structure. The cooking chamber can simply comprise an open top firebox, or a combination of a firebox and a lid. In either case, it is typical for barbecue grills to be provided with one or more handles on the cooking chamber, either for moving the barbecue grill from location to another, or for opening and closing the lid.
Over the years, as barbecue grills have grown in popularity, various standards and regulations have been enacted which specify strict safety parameters for barbecue grills. One such standard, EN 1860-1:2003, section 4.2.6, precludes the surface temperature of the handle from exceeding certain values when tested under certain conditions. In their attempts to meet this standard, barbecue grill manufacturers have accepted and implemented two alternative solutions. The first is to increase the distance between the gripping portion of the handle and the cooking chamber. It is no surprise that grill manufacturers have adopted this obvious solution. Indeed, it is well known that the magnitude of radiation heat transfer between two objects is inversely proportional to the distance between the two objects; i.e., the farther the objects are away from each other, the lower the magnitude of radiation heat transfer. The same generally applies for conductive and convective heat transfer between two objects. The second solution is to use a material specified in the standard which has a high temperature criteria, e.g. wood. This is likewise an obvious solution.
Although the two solutions identified above are sufficient to meet the EN 1860-1:2003 standard, they both have their drawbacks. For example, both solutions result in an appearance which is less aesthetically pleasing and possibly less functional and wear-resistant. Increasing the distance between the handle and the grill can give a barbecue grill a less proportional appearance, and may cause difficulties with packaging the grill for retail sale in a compact manner. The extended handle can also impinge upon space constraints of the end user. Using wood as an alternative material is not preferable because many wood finishes quickly degrade when exposed to heat and sun, two conditions which are almost always present for barbecue grills.